130 THE CARXATION MANUAL. 



remarking here, viz., that in most gardens Carna- 

 tions are planted at a much lower level than the 

 eye, and are staked up carefully so as to be seen ; 

 but as seen wild, or as naturalised on rocks or old 

 walls, the plant is often indeed generally above 

 one's eyes, and the masses of its blossoms hang 

 downwards, and so do not sufter from too much 

 rain, nor are they so liable to be spoiled by the ear- 

 wigs as are our border-grown flowers. 



Visitors to Italy, Switzerland, and some parts of 

 France and Brittany are quite enthusiastic in their 

 praises of the Carnation as there gro^vn in pots or 

 window-boxes at the upper mndows in villages and 

 towns. I have seen a good many window-boxes in 

 London, but only once did I see a box-full of these 

 flowers. It was on the upj)er ^\indow-sill of a 

 sunny mews in South Kensington, and I shall 

 never forget the sweet sight, which enhanced the 

 dehght we feel after a shower on a fresh morning 

 in July. Here, as in nature, there was no staking, 

 and, as seen from below, the flowers looked down 

 into one's face in quite a friendly way. As 

 window-box plants, the Pink and Carnation are at 

 all times clean, fresh, and presentable, even when 

 not in bloom ; but during May, June, July, and 

 August, or even later — sometimes until the 

 November frosts — these flowers have no equals for 

 form, colour, and perfume. All the species of 

 Dianthus are happy, as cither sown direct, or as 



